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IMPACT OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT ON HEALTH
Healthy man – healthy biological clock
Cycles and rhythms are natural phenomena that occur in
various scientific fields of universe. Man is a part of
biological system on this earth. Many biological
processes undergo cyclical and rhythmic changes and can
be called as natural rhythms of our body. These rhythmic
and cyclical changes or functions in a normal healthy
human are attributed to something called as biological
clock. This biological clock has functions that are
cyclical or rhythmic on daily basis, called as
‘Circadian’ clock functions that get affected by many
agents in our environment. In this article, we focus on
one of these agents, light or photo-radiation.
Artificial light: a ‘sycotic’ scientific discovery
(miasmatic point of view)
The invention of the electric bulb as a source of
artificial light by Thomas Alva Edison enabled man to
venture into the darkness of night. There was increase
in wakeful time, extension of working hours & economic
productivity with artificial light. This increase in
wake full time & the resultant change in the sleeping
pattern has been suddenly introduced into the life-style
of the human race which, over a period of 5 million
years, had enjoyed a minimum of 10 hours sleep in serene
darkness.
Artificial light: a sudden change in the environment;
is it good?
For survival, life-forms adapt to changes that occur in
the surrounding environment. In fact, any change in the
environment can lead to adaptive adjustment in living
organisms. This basic mechanism of evolution is a very
slow process & may occur over a period of many thousand
years in multi-cellular organisms like the human being.
But in the case of artificial light there has been a
sudden alteration in the environment. Life-style changes
that occurred after discovery of artificial light have
brought human life under the compulsion for adaptive
behavior over a period of less than 100 years that could
be an evolutionary catastrophe.
Understanding Patho-physiology
The human brain has a small neuro-endocrine organ known
as the Pineal body or Pineal gland. This Pineal gland
and its functions have been under extensive clinical
research and study for the past three or four decades.
Now it has been firmly established that the pineal gland
& one of its hormonal products, Melatonin, is important
for the regulation of many biological rhythms. The
amount of sleep that one needs appears to be in direct
proportion to the secretion of melatonin. Melatonin also
influences one’s food choices and weight metabolism.
Patho-physiology of the rubric light aggravates
The function of the pineal gland is controlled by the
light & dark cycles occurring in nature. Research works
by Dr. Cheryl Craft, Ph.D., has shown that Pineal and
Retina of eye express a number of genes in common. Light
stimulus from the retina of the eyes re'ach'es the pineal
gland through intricate nerve connections & causes
suppression of melatonin secretion. In the absence of
light, melatonin secretion increases and re'ach'es a peak
at midnight, declining to a low level in the morning.
Melatonin & Sleep
Melatonin is essential for the establishment of the
sleep & wakefulness rhythm in human beings. Newborns
have erratic secretion of melatonin, causing altered
sleep patterns in them. After the first year, a regular
night time increase & day time fall in melatonin levels
occur, leading to normal sleep & wakeful rhythms of
adult life. The age of regulation of the sleeping
pattern varies among children & is under the control of
the melatonin. Similarly, erratic secretion of melatonin
occurs in the elderly due to pineal gland dysfunction &
causes sleep disorders.
Melatonin & Sexual functions
Melatonin also regulates the development of sex organs.
During childhood, higher levels of melatonin suppresses
gonad development as adolescence appro'ach'es, a genetic
control switch causes a fail in melatonin secretion,
which stimulates rapid development of gonads.
Melatonin & aging
As age advances, a physiological fall in melatonin
secretion occurs because of the deposition of calcium
salts in the pineal gland. Experiments have shown that
the longevity of old mice can be increased by 30% if
their calcified pineal glands are removed & translated
with the pineal glands from the young mice. So, it is
evident that the melatonin retards the ageing process.
Excessive exposure to bright light in the night can
trigger the onset of premature senility due to pineal
gland dysfunction.
Melatonin & diseases: Cancers
Cancer susceptibility increases with age, following the
declining immunological surveillance by the defense
cells of the body. Many types of cancer growths regress
after the experimental administration of melatonin. The
incidence of breast cancer is increasing world over &
one type of cancer, known as ‘estrogen receptor positive
breast cancer’, is highly dependent on the estrogen
hormone secreted by the gonads. A fall in the melatonin
can cause an increased secretion of estrogen &, hence,
women exposed to bright light in the night face the risk
of development of breast cancer.
Melatonin & mind
Orderly & rhythmic secretion of melatonin is necessary
to maintain proper mood & behavior. A daytime increase
in melatonin secretion and also artificial infusion of
melatonin to human volunteers produced mental depression
and suicidal tendencies. Lethargy, disinterest in life &
a feeling of excessive sleepiness in the daytime are
part of mental depression caused by the disorderly
rhythm in melatonin secretion. This type of day time
secretion has been successfully suppressed by exposing
these individuals to a source of bright light for a few
minutes in the early hours of the morning.
Melatonin & diseases: sleep symptoms
Sleep disorder are becoming very common & the increase
in the sale of sleeping pills is standing proof for
this. Alteration in the melatonin rhythm is responsible
for a majority of these disorders.
Melatonin & jet lag: stroke and heart attacks
Modern man now travels in supersonic jets, & west ward
travel results in prolongation of daytime. Millions of
people in the world undertake these types of
Transmeridian flights in a year to fly across time
zones. After re'ach'ing the destination, the travelers
suffer from a condition known as ‘jet lag’,
characterized by sleepiness, confusion, dizziness &
abdominal discomfort. The incidence of sudden strokes &
heart attacks are high during jet lag. The cause for jet
lag is again, due to deprivation of darkness to the
pineal gland leading to disturbances in the melatonin
rhythm.
Melatonin & women health
Many menstrual problems in adolescent girls in the
present century is a consequence of excessive exposure
to bright light till very late hours in the night,
leading to premature suppression of melatonin levels.
Women exposed to bright light in the night face
increased risk of development of breast cancer.
Conclusion: Good to be in dark
Light & darkness are equally essential for the smooth
functioning of the biological rhythms of the body.
Invasion into serene darkness of the night by polluting,
artificial, bright light has already produced many
harmful effects. Flood- lit industrial activity, late
night entertainment under flashing focus lights,
day-&-night cricket matches, midnight cricket matches,
and midnight TV programs were unknown to our ancestors.
Sudden deviation from the life-styles of his ancestors
will push the regulatory systems of his body into
turmoil.
Interaction - In many cultures and societies
our ancestors advocated the practice of exposing
themselves and others to a source of bright light (Sun)
for a few minutes in the early hours of the morning. Is
there any scientific logic in this practice? E-mail your
views to dr_dhirajnanda@yahoo.com or info@achcure.com
Homoeopathy and Light aggravation
In homoeopathic repertories, the rubric ‘light
aggravates’ finds a place in symptoms relating to
chapters of Abdomen; Eye; Face; Female sexual organs;
Generals; Head; Mind; Nerves; Sleep; Stom'ach'; Vision. In
complete repertory the rubric light aggravates has more
than 100 remedies mentioned against it.
LIGHT aggravates
Remedies with 3 marks - BELL, CALC, CON, EUPHR,
GRAPH, PHOS, SEP.
Remedies with 2 marks - acon, ant-c, ars, bar-c, chin,
colch, croc, dros, glon, hep, ign, lyc, lyss, merc, merc-c,
nat-c, nat-s, ph-ac, puls, rhus-t, sil, spig, stram,
sulph.
Remedies with 1 marks - 'ach'y, aesc, agar, agn, alum,
am-c, am-m, anac, anh, apis, arg-n, arn, asar, berb, bor,
bry, bufo, buth-aust, camph, canth, carb-an, caust, cham,
chin-s, choc, cic, cina, clem, coca, cocc, coff, culx,
cupr, dig, euph, hell, hyos, kali-bi, kali-c, kali-n,
lac-d, l'ach', laur, levo, lith-c, mag-c, mag-m, mag-p,
manc, mang, meny, mez, mim-p, mur-ac, nat-m, nat-p,
nit-ac, nux-m, op, petr, plat, rhod, ruta, samb, sang,
sars, sel, seneg, stann, staph, sul-ac, tab, tarax, thuj,
valer, verat, zinc.
Artificial light and homoeopathy
Now, let us artificial light. If one compiles a list
of homoeopathic medicines mentioned under different
chapters of repertories for artificial light
aggravation, we get more than 60 remedies. More can be
added to this. Grading given below is on the clinical
experience of Dr. Dhiraj Nanda
ARTIFICIAL LIGHT, AGG.
Remedies with 3 marks - Calc, Con, Dros, Glon,
Lyc, Merc, Phos, Puls,Sep.
Remedies with 2 marks - apis, arg-n, bar-c, bell, crot-h,
euphr, graph, hep, ign, ip, lac-d, nat-s, ph-ac, sang,
sil.
Remedies with 1 mark - agar, agn, am-m, anac, aster, aur,
aur-m, bor, bufo, calc-p, carb-an, cast, caust, chel,
chin, chin-s, choc, cina, coff, croc, cupr, gels, hydrog,
kali-c, laur, lith, manc, mang, mez, nat-c, nat-m,
nit-ac, nux-m, petr, plat, ruta, sars, seneg, staph,
stram, sulph, zinc.
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